In some Time Synchronous Channel Hopping (TSCH) networks, such as that defined by IEEE 802.15.4e, network communication among nodes of the mesh network can be carried out using the “extended addresses” of the nodes and/or using “short addresses” of the nodes. In order to conserve available bandwidth and reduce power consumption, it is preferable for nodes to communicate using their short addresses. Typically, a node is assigned its short address when it joins the network. However, a significant amount of time may elapse from the time a node requests to join the network until the node receives a response that indicates whether it has successfully joined the network. In order to avoid missing the response, nodes must be maintained in an active state until the response is received. For a battery-powered node, the potentially extensive time spent waiting for a response while in an active state can consume a substantial amount of energy from the battery.